If I'm looking through the lens of what I think was best for the game as a whole, Original Innistrad.

Runner-ups: Return to Ravnica, Khans of Tarkir, Ravnica City of Guilds, Conspiracy.

(Some have a lot more importance to me as an individual but didn't impact the overall game as much imo)

IT'S SEVEN MANA

AND HAS TO ATTACK

*AND HAS TO RESOLVE IT'S ATTACK TRIGGER*

If I let that trigger resolve I deserve to be annihilated.

Sometimes I also playtest a deck at 110 to determine what the worst 10 cards are in-context, if I'm having trouble finding those last cuts

1. If the curve works well enough and feels smooth
2. Average incidence of mulligans
3. If I can assume I have reasonable ability to impact the game by a certain turn (depending on deck style) or if I'm floundering, and if so, how often do I flounder vs not

I just built a similar deck too! Your protection spells have me reconsidering some of my own choices, they seem very good. Have you considered running Guild Globe, Terrarion, Chromatic Star/Orb, and Lotus Petal? They enable Minthara on same turn, and they can help address velocity by cantripping.

One of my favorites is Crescendo of Violence by Osprey Games! It's a "neon-noir" game that places a lot of importance on pacing and a cinematic 'feel', using some interesting action systems and a 3 act structure for each session. Plus, the aesthetic is tight as hell. Highly recommend!

I know Octavia isn't 1:1 cost reduction but I'd almost argue you could count every 1mv cantrip as ramp in and of itself tbh (or maybe 0.5 of a ramp spell), and in that sense you're running mono-ramp lmao

Fun fact: you can't even trust a room full of musicians to clap on beat

I mean when I was regularly travelling for Magic judging we consistently made sure to talk specifically about work-related stuff during dinner so we could write it off, idk how risky that is tho

😭😭😭

VIII in D tier is some top level nonsense, it certainly had its problems but it should be at least C tier on how well the soundtrack thematically matches the content alone

Me waiting for my next paycheck so I can contribute

Don't mind me, we using our after-christmas paycheck for IMPORTANT BUSINESS

I had a friend who used to buy every single Siege Rhino they ever saw, including every graded one. They had a 2-row full of them. Sounds like this is your destiny

This is nothing to say of the other stuff he's done that's Not Great™, to be clear. I just don't know the extent to what all he's actually done and don't care to know at this point lmao